1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally pertains to display apparatus and, more specifically, to a simple and economical portable article display assembly for merchandise and the like which is easily assembled and disassembled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of article display racks for a variety of article displaying purposes has become widely accepted in the merchandising field. Typically, since the display racks of the above category are often employed at a variety of locations, it is necessary to repeatedly disassemble, transport and reassemble these structures, in addition to, of course, storing the same. As believed self-evident, the foregoing procedures, especially whenever rather frequently performed, tend to be tedious and time-consuming activities.
The foregoing drawback is further compounded by the fact that the contemporary display structures have rather complicated constructions, particularly in terms of the interengaging joints between several of the connected components, which are relatively difficult to quickly and easily assemble and disassemble, such as by virtue of screws, bolts and the like. Often, hand tools are required to assist in the successful and complete assembling and disassembling of these types of known display racks.
Beyond the foregoing shortcomings generally associated with many presently available display rack constructions, there is the fact that they may have the tendency to rattle and wobble in the ordinary and customary usage thereof owing to the type of interegagement between the support legs of the display frame and the corresponding floor or ground engaging member.
Exemplarary of heretofore known approaches in this particular field are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. to Strong, 3,520,507; Jordan, 3,625,462; and Propst 3,674,230. The foregoing patents, in general, discuss approaches in which a ground engaging foot member is connected to an upright support column. The last-identified patent to Propst relates generally to a relatively complicated furniture construction divider which is rigidly secured to an upstanding post structure as by a plurality of screwthreaded members. The noted Jordan patent generally describes a furniture joint connection including a ground engaging member or foot in which the joint parts are push-fit together and bonded by a heat-treated resin adhesive. The first of the above-referenced patents illustrates a removable foot engaging portion which has a releasable connection between it and a vertical support leg of the display frame. Although the arrangement does not require screws or bolts and the like, there is nonetheless required a rather precisely formed structure to secure the desired interengagement, since tabs on the foot member must engage any one of a plurality of pressed-out slots in order to achieve a locking or detent action between the support leg and ground engaging foot member.
From the preceding remarks, it can be readily appreciated that the prior art is characterized by a variety of structures which are relatively complicated in design, relatively costly to construct, and which do not, in general, permit as quick and easy of an assembly and disassembly as might be desirable, as well as provide a sturdy structure which prevents against rattling and wobbling of the noted interengaging ground engaging member and the upright support of the display frame.